1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to a cooling sleeve or jacket for use with containers of liquids, such as a keg of beer, and a pre-chill dispensing system therefor, particularly, a cooling jacket suited for operative connection with a coolant bath chilled by a refrigerant cooling line of a liquid dispenser assembly which pre-chills the container of liquid prior to a dispensing of the liquid thereof by the liquid dispenser assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art.
The dispensing of beer or other beverages from kegs is well known. Keg beer provides an economical method of packaging beer.
It is generally known to cool beer kegs (e.g., ponies, quarter barrels, half barrels, tappers, and the like) by immersing the keg in an open container such as a washtub or cut down drum filled with ice. Such a practice is somewhat inconvenient, messy, and involves considerable effort: and labor before and after use. The ice will often melt significantly prior to the keg being empty, creating water. As the keg is emptied, it becomes lighter and will often float in this water before it is fully emptied. This creates problems in pumping the keg to maintain internal pressure. Additionally, ice, apart from being costly, is often not available at points of beverage consumption.
Attempts have been made to maintain a cooled temperature to the liquid of a keg container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,884 to Kotschwar there is disclosed a beverage cooler which comprises a segmented foam cooler structure that envelopes a keg and includes a pocket which when filled with a relatively small portion of ice seeks to maintain the keg at a sufficiently cold temperature.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,993 to Johnson there is disclosed an insulated barrel cooler comprising a cylindrical, open-ended, insulated cloth sleeve or jacket that slips over a beer keg or the like to keep the barrel cold. The insulated cloth sleeve has a plurality of vertically stitched seams displaced equal distance around the sleeve which creates internal pockets into which are placed plastic bags of frozen water or the like to cool the barrel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,290 to Byren, there is disclosed a beer keg ice sleeve comprising a slip-over ice sleeve open at the bottom and top and having inner and outer sleeve members with an ice pocket therebetween for reception of ice cubes, chipped ice or the like. A drain valve is provided at the lower portion of the outer liner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,089 to Raab, there is disclosed an adjustable refrigeratable beverage wrap around holder which circumferentially encloses the beverage container and includes a plurality of individually disposed freezable masses consecutively positioned along an exterior layer of insulated material. The freezable masses form an inner diameter for receiving the exterior walls of the beverage container. When frozen, the freezable masses will absorb heat from the beverage and container and thus cause the beverage to remain chilled for an extended period of time.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,941 to Marshall, there is disclosed a system to insulate and retain cold temperature comprising a series of layers of materials, namely, a hard durable plastic layer of polyvinyl chloride or similar material, a layer of retardant aluminum, a layer of styrofoam, a layer of neoprene, and a cavity having an input valve at the top of the system wherein liquid dry ice is initially introduced, and upon stabilization the liquid dry ice becomes sold. The system is constructed in the outer shape of a keg to constitute a jacket therefor which would be removable with hinges and buckles to keep kegs cold without refrigeration or ice. When the dry ice converts from a sold to a gas, the gaseous fumes can be released from the system from an escape or purge valve at the bottom of the system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,568 to Rankin, Sr. there is disclosed an insulating cover for keg beer. The cover consists of a relatively flexible insulating material which substantially surrounds one or more kegs of beer. The insulative properties are sufficient to maintain a relatively constant cold temperature without the use of ice, although multiple-use sealed freeze packs may be placed within a cover for the system.
The container cooling jacket and pre-chill dispensing system therefor of the present invention advantageously pre-chills, maintains, and preserves a cool temperature to the liquid of a container, such as beer of a beer keg, prior to the dispensing of the liquid through a liquid dispenser assembly without resort to ice or cold packs. The container cooling jacket is designed to externally extend, advantageously for either short or long distances, and recirculate a coolant bath fluid chilled by a refrigerant cooling line of the liquid dispenser assembly. The container cooling jacket can be placed around the external periphery of the keg or container to thereby pre-chill, maintain cool, and preserve the liquid therein prior its dispensing through the liquid dispenser assembly. Thus, the liquid of the container is dual-cooled; first by a pre-chill maintenance of the liquid within its container, and second by a cooling of the liquid as it is dispensed through a liquid line of the liquid dispenser assembly. The coolant bath fluid of the liquid dispenser assembly thus circulates in a cooling coil line of the container cooling jacket to cool a container external of the liquid dispenser assembly and the coolant bath fluid is also used to cool the liquid of the container when it is drawn into a liquid line internal of the liquid dispenser assembly for dispensing. This dual cooling capacity gained by use of the container cooling jacket and liquid dispenser assembly allows for an efficient, quick servicing of greater quantities of remote sources of cooled beverages, particularly during peak and high demand times therefor, such as, for example, during catering events or intermissions of a sporting or other social event. The present invention also achieves advantages of portability since the cooling jacket and associated liquid dispenser assembly can operate from an electric or gas or gasoline power source. The present invention also eliminates the need for cold storage rooms for containers or kegs or the transport of the same therefrom. Also, the extensions of the coolant bath fluid cooling line can be of short or long length.